1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure is related to fuel cells.
2. Background of the Art
Fuel cells make use of an electrochemical reaction involving a fuel and an oxidant in a cell that comprises an anode, cathode, and electrolyte, to generate electricity without also generating the unwanted by-products associated with combustion, while providing relatively higher energy efficiency. Thus, fuel cells potentially have a number of advantages over other power generation or storage means in many applications. A number of obstacles have hindered the use of fuel cells in high power and/or long term downhole applications. For instance, the reaction product, typically water, needs to be removed from the fuel cell stack in order to continuously run the fuel cell. Removal of the water downhole presents a challenge because the surrounding pressure is commonly higher than that present in a conventional fuel cell placed at surface in an ambient environment and operating in air.
The present disclosure addresses this and other challenges for use of fuel cells in wellbore environments.